Madhya Pradesh Revenue Minister Govind Singh tops list of electricity bill defaulters

Govind Singh Rajput, the Revenue and Transport Minister of Madhya Pradesh, is at the top of the state's list of energy bill defaulters. The list also includes Gulab Singh Rajput, the Collector's Bungalow, the SP Office, the CEO of Cantt, as well as doctors, actors, social workers, and colonisers. According to the Electricity Department, Rajput is at the top of the list, with a debt of Rs 84,388 owed by him.

Gulab Singh came in fifth place on the list. He has an outstanding sum of Rs 34,667 against him. Collector's Bungalow has a debt of Rs 11,445, CEO of Cantt has a debt of Rs 24,700, Vakilchand Gupta has a debt of Rs 40,209, Office of Superintendent of Police (SP) has a debt of Rs 23,428, Suryansh Sushil Tiwari has a debt of Rs 27,073, and Office of SAF 16 Battalion has a debt of Rs 18,650, according to the Electricity Department.

Revenue Minister tops list of electricity bill defaulters in Madhya Pradesh

Defaulters have also been notified to pay their bills by SMS by the Electricity Department. A request has also been made to deposit the outstanding money as soon as possible. The department is working hard to collect the unpaid balance as soon as feasible. The department can now disconnect the wire. According to SK Sinha, an engineer with the Electricity Department, there are 91,000 subscribers in the Sagar Nagar division, 67,000 of whom have paid their bills. The remaining customers are being contacted. The bill is being given out in the form of SMS and notifications. Sinha stated that if the bill is not paid, legal action will be taken. Meanwhile, in an interview with ANI, Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh urged consumers to pay their bills as soon as possible.

"I appeal to those consumers who are capable to pay their bills immediately in the public interest and if they do not, then surely the government will do its work. Those who are capable and if they do not pay their bills, then their electricity connections will also be cut. No one is above the law, whether it's me Energy Minister. Laws are the same for everyone," he added. 

Madhya Pradesh electricity subsidy; MP govt owes Rs 27,000 crore in subsidy payments

The Madhya Pradesh Vidyut Mandal Abhiyanta Sangh (MPVMAS) had requested the state government to pay the subsidy promised under the Samadhan Yojna to the three state-owned and cash-strapped power distribution firms ahead of schedule. MPVMAS general secretary VKS Parihar told PTI on Friday that the organisation, which is the state's only representative body of electrical engineers, has written a letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan requesting his intervention in releasing in advance the quantum of subsidy announced under the Samadhan Yojna to the state-run discoms two days ago. He stated that the MP government owes the discoms Rs 27000 crore in subsidy payments.

"As per the provisions of the Electricity Act 2003 and State Government Regulations 2007, the state is duty-bound to reimburse the subsidy amount in advance to the discoms," Parihar said.

Below Poverty Line population to get 40% off on COVID related power bills

Currently, electricity consumers who take advantage of a plan are required to pay a fraction of the total bill amount. As a result, he explained, the discoms carry the responsibility of waivers. The three discoms have incurred losses of over Rs 30,000 crore as a result of a variety of factors, including the state government's failure to pay them subsidy amounts. Every year, the price of energy in MP rises as discoms ask the MP Electricity Regulatory Commissioner (MPERC) for a power increase to keep their operations running, according to Dr P G Najpandey, president of NGO Nagrik Upbhokta Margdarshak Manch. Chouhan introduced the Samadhan Yojna earlier this month, as part of which people living below the poverty line (BPL) were offered a 40% discount on their coronavirus-related power bills. According to an official, the state government has also written off the surcharge (fine) under the scheme for late payment. The waiver was issued before the next year's yet-to-be-announced urban civic body elections.

Inputs: PTI and ANI 

(Image: ANI / Unsplash)